Kinks mystery: Who were "Cold Turkey"?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Matthew B., Mar 28, 2011.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Matthew B.

    Matthew B. Scream Quietly Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tokyo, Japan
    So here's the story: Back in 1971 Ray Davies wrote a theme song for the ITV series Budgie, starring Adam Faith as a hapless small-time crook. The song came out as a single on Pye the next year, credited to a band called Cold Turkey. Nothing is known about them. They released nothing else before or after.

    Take a listen here. Remind you of anyone?


    Here's a time line, for a bit of context. Most of these dates are from Doug Hinman's All Day and All of the Night.

    Apr. 1971: Pye releases the "God's Children" EP, the label's final issue of new material from the Kinks.

    Aug. 1971: The Kinks start recording Muswell Hillbillies. Ray writes "Nobody's Fool."

    Oct. 1971: Recording finishes for Muswell Hillbillies. The Kinks' five-year contract with Pye elapses.

    Nov. 1971: The Kinks sign a new contract with RCA; Pye decides to sue the band for failure to deliver the agreed minimum of product. Muswell Hillbillies is released on RCA.

    Jan. 1972: According to Hinman, Pye releases the "Nobody's Fool" single this month. I'm not sure if that's right. The catalogue number (7N 45142) would seem to put it later in the release calendar, and the song wasn't going to receive any TV exposure until later that spring. The single's flip side is a cover of the "Sesame Street" theme by a children's chorus called The Street Kids. Production for both tracks is credited to Jimmy Horowitz.

    Apr. 1972: The second series of Budgie begins, with "Nobody's Fool" replacing the previous theme in the opening titles.


    What with all the talk of possible bonus tracks for reissues of Percy or Muswell Hillbillies, this song came to mind. What do you think?
     
    All Down The Line, Zeki and aoxomoxoa like this.
  2. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Funny, it sounds a lot like WILD Turkey, and the timeframe's right for its being them. Wonder if there was any connection?
     
  3. Matthew B.

    Matthew B. Scream Quietly Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tokyo, Japan
    I took a listen to a few Wild Turkey songs, and I don't see the resemblance. Unless they have another lead vocalist who can do one hell of a Dave Davies impression.
     
    Elliottmarx likes this.
  4. LFSDoc

    LFSDoc time has told me not to ask for more

    Location:
    Genova, Italy
    it's Dave, and I hear Ray too! To my ears at least... Nice find.
    doc
     
    Elliottmarx likes this.
  5. Matthew B.

    Matthew B. Scream Quietly Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tokyo, Japan
    Yeah, it sounds like Ray on back-up, though it's harder to be sure. But if that's not Dave on vocals and lead guitar, then Ray should track this guy down pronto, and all his Kinks reunion worries will be solved.
     
  6. Matthew, thanks for posting this, I had never heard it before.
     
  7. Fullbug

    Fullbug Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    No doubt it's Dave, and I like it a lot more than Death of a Clown.
     
  8. reverendjim

    reverendjim Forum Resident

    Location:
    new york, ny, usa
    The guitar-work is a little more languid and Harrison-esque than I'd expect of Dave at that point, but heck, those vocals and the general arrangement sound a LOT like "Percy"-era Kinks. Dave seems pretty accessible on his message board these days... has anyone ever asked him straight-up if this was the Kinks?
     
    All Down The Line likes this.
  9. Matthew B.

    Matthew B. Scream Quietly Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tokyo, Japan
    They have now. Excellent suggestion.

    Someone brought it up on Ray's board a while back, but no one official ever commented on it there.
     
  10. kevinsinnott

    kevinsinnott Forum Coffeeologist

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    It sure sounds like the Kinks to me. I think Dave and Ray are both singing. I could also be Dave on guitar - it actually sounds a bit like his later work on Sleepwalker lick-wise.
     
  11. Tom Campbell

    Tom Campbell Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston, MA
    Oh man, no question. Both Ray and Dave are there.
     
  12. joachim50

    joachim50 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Germany
    Ray Davies singing a Ray Davies song,vocals doubletracked IMO
     
  13. gazebo

    gazebo Active Member

    I bought a copy of this at the time, it was certainly assumed then to be the Kinks, but not credited as such because of the record company move. Being the theme song from a hit TV programme, it got a few radio plays.

    The B-side is the Theme From Sesame Street by the Street Kids and is definitely not the Kinks!

    I see there's a copy available on Ebay at a price.
     
    All Down The Line likes this.
  14. Thanks for that, I just bought it :righton:
     
    All Down The Line likes this.
  15. gazebo

    gazebo Active Member

    Sorry, I see you beat me with the B-side information. My (hazy) recollections of the song's release tie in with your theory, I bought it when the TV show was running and had heard about the record either in the music press or on the radio at that time.
     
    All Down The Line likes this.
  16. markytheM

    markytheM Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toledo Ohio USA
    That's The Kinks alright. Awesome track. I like how they used the Animal Farm intro.
     
    Elliottmarx and Yorick like this.
  17. gazebo

    gazebo Active Member

    I'm surprised, it lasted a whole 25minutes after my post.:) I see the track is also available a bit cheaper on an obscure 1999 cd of 70s theme tunes on Amazon.co.uk. Never mind the original vinyl is undoubtably far more desirable!
     
  18. mark f.

    mark f. Senior Member

    I really like the song but I've sent it on CDR to folks and no one has ever reacted to it.
     
  19. tootull

    tootull Looking through a glass onion

    Location:
    Canada
  20. GeddyLeeFan

    GeddyLeeFan Active Member

    Location:
    Aurora
    Looking at the eBay auction mentioned above, the date stamp on the label does say "14 APRIL 1972" which would fit with the start of series two of "Budgie".

    Great song, by the way. Would fit perfectly as a bonus track on the Deluxe Edition of "Muswell Hillbillies".
     
  21. Matthew B.

    Matthew B. Scream Quietly Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tokyo, Japan
    Yeah, probably the easiest place to find it. It's also on two compilations from Victor Japan: Kinky Kovers (track listing here, cat. no. VICP-60431, Japanese title キンキー・カヴァーズ) and First Cool Mod Step: Mod Gear 2 (track listing here, final four tracks written by Ray Davies, cat. no. VICP-5576, Japanese title ファースト・クール・モッド・ステップ).

    Amazon Japan listings: Kinky Kovers, First Cool Mod Step.
     
  22. Matthew B.

    Matthew B. Scream Quietly Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tokyo, Japan
    Kinky: The Songs of Ray Davies, the never-released compilation that Mark mentions in that post, survives as an Amazon listing here. Kinky Kovers obviously drew most of its track list from the British comp, though the Japanese compilers had the additional bright idea of sequencing three "Dandy" covers in a row.
     
  23. Matthew B.

    Matthew B. Scream Quietly Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tokyo, Japan
    Or actually, the other way around. Now that I look at Kinky Kovers, it came out in '98, and Castle/Sanctuary announced Kinky in '02. I'm surprised they were paying such close attention to product from their Japanese affiliate.

    And so to bed.
     
  24. gazebo

    gazebo Active Member

    Anyone who is interested in seeing the intro to Budgie with the song, its available in the second half of this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCsYKzoPQfU around 50 seconds in - the first clip is from the 1971 series with a different theme tune.
     
  25. Matthew B.

    Matthew B. Scream Quietly Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tokyo, Japan
    Update: It's been a couple of weeks, and no one official at Dave's board has commented on the song. Ah well.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine